This guides focuses on how to properly format works for an APA reference list. Examples of the most commonly used source types are provided. For more detail, consult the publication manual.
Please note that spacing and indentation in the examples are not compliant with the APA manual.
Always consult with your professor concerning his/her preferences for formatting citations.
Publication Manual (OFFICIAL) 7th Edition of the American Psychological Association by The general reference form is
Author, A. A. (year). Title of work. Location: Publisher.
Place information about editions, volume numbers, and page numbers in parentheses after the title, with the period after the parentheses.
Balswick, J. O., King, P. E., & Reimer, K. S. (2016). The reciprocating self: Human development in theological perspective (2nd ed.). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.
In-text parenthetical citation: (Balswick, King, & Riemer, 2016)
The general reference form is
Author, A. A. (year). Title of work. Retrieved from http://www.xxxxxxx
Author, A. A. (year). Title of work. doi:xxxxx
Note that the DOI is preferable to the URL. The URL should be the homepage URL of the publisher. In general, do not include database information.
Hook, J. N., Davis, D., Owen, J., & DeBlaere, C. (2017). Cultural humility: Engaging diverse identities in therapy [Kindle version]. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000037-000
In-text parenthetical citation: (Hook, Davis, Owen, & DeBlaere, 2017)
The general reference form is
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year). Title of chapter or entry. In A. Editor, B. Editor, & C. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xx-xxx). Location: Publisher.
Brooks-Young, S. (2010). Gaming. In Teaching with the tools kids really use: Learning with web and mobile technologies (pp. 89-98). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
In-text parenthetical citation: (Brooks-Young, 2010, p. 90)
The general reference form is
Title of entry. (year). In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of reference work (xx ed., Vol. xx, pp. xx-xx). Retrieved from http://www.wwwwwww
Mens rea. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mens%20rea
In-text parenthetical citation: ("mens rea," n.d.)
The general reference form is
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (year). Title of article. Title of periodical, xx, pp-pp. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxx
Kitzmann, K. M., & Cohen, R. (2003). Parents' and children's perceptions of interparental conflict as predictors of children's friendship quality. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 20(5), 689-700.
In-text parenthetical citation: (Kitzmann & Cohen, 2003)
The general reference form is
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (year). Title of article. Title of periodical, xx, pp-pp. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxx
Gehlbach, H., Brinkworth, M. E., King, A. M., Hsu, L. M., McIntyre, J., & Rogers, T. (2016). Creating birds of similar feathers: Leveraging similarity to improve teacher-student relationships and academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(3), 342-352. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000042
In-text parenthetical citation: (Gehlbach et al., 2016)
The general reference form is
Author, A. A. (year). Title of doctoral dissertation or master's thesis (Doctoral dissertation or master's thesis). Retrieved from http://www.xxxxxxx
Campbell, K. (2015). Work-life balance of women leaders in the Association of Theological Schools (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://pepperdine.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15093coll2/id/538
In-text parenthetical citation: (Campbell, 2015)
Most library databases include a button or link that produces a citation for a reference list. While these are useful for saving time, these citations are machine-generated. As such, they must always be checked against the publication manual to ensure they are accurate and complete.
